In this blog the co-Chairs Kevin Farquharson and Steve Beecroft we will be updating you on all things smart card, relating to local authority implementations and of course seeking your input and comment too. So…….why not help shape the future of smart card projects across the sector and contribute with your comments and share your experiences? Your input and feedback is critical to the ongoing success of the Forum.

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

THE ITSO Specification is at the heart of two major pieces of work just published by the Department for Transport – the Door to Door Strategy and the guidance for multi - operator ticketing.

THE STRATEGY is about making it as easy as possible for people to get out of their cars and into different forms of transport. DfT sees smart and integrated ticketing as one way of encouraging the improved Door to Door proposition for the customer.

The Strategy says: “We are ... committed to realising the potential of smart ticketing through a shared approach between operators, local transport authorities and central government, and by involving the wider payment and retail industry.

as part of the PayExpo 2013 event at the Excel Exhibition Centre in London. This will be coordinated by SNCF Chair Kevin Farquharson and will include overviews and updates on smart ticketing projects from:

Kevin Farquharson SCNF Chair

Lindsay Robertson ITSO Chief Executive Officer

Mick Davies Chairman of LASSeO

Adele Wearing of Leicester City Council

On Wednesday, 19th June there will be a Transport Ticketing Summer Seminar at the same venue which will include:

A presentation from Matt Lewis of Centro who will talk about their smart ticketing scheme and Swift card plans

A discussion moderated by Mike Burden of Consult Hyperion with the topic Contactless Payment: Encouraging mass user adoption in transport. Taking part in this discussion will be ITSO Governance

Manager Steve Wakeland, Steve Howes of ATOC, Levente Nagy of the Centre for Budapest Transport, and Erbil Yurdakul of Bankalararasi

Kart Merkezi (the Turkish Interbank Card Centre).

All transport operators and local authorities get a free pass to these events.

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

TENS OF thousands of Metro Gold Card holders will switch to smart travel as they renew their annual passes this month.

Gold Card, which allows off - peak travel for older and disabled people, is now being sold as an ITSO - compliant ‘smart’ ticket by Nexus, added electronically to customers’ concessionary bus passes. That means people who buy Metro Gold Card now only need a single smart card for all local bus, Metro and ferry travel in North East England.

Tobyn Hughes, Director of Customer Services for Nexus, said: “Metro Gold Card is now being sold electronically onto

concessionary travel cards.

This will make it easier for older and disabled customers to transfer between bus and Metro services with no need to carry two different passes.